Complainant wants two-year jail for Rathore, may appeal

CHANDIGARH - Anand Prakash, the main complainant in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, Tuesday said he may move higher courts for sentencing disgraced former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore to two-year jail instead of 18 months.

A local court here Tuesday enhanced the jail sentence of Rathore in the nearly 20-year-old molestation case from six months to 18 months and ordered his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“I am very happy that the court has enhanced the sentence but at the same time there is some disappointment in my heart as court can also award him the maximum punishment of two years for molesting Ruchika,” Prakash, the main complainant in this case, told IANS.

“Our fight is still on and we will go to high court and even the Supreme Court seeking maximum jail sentence in this case. We will discuss this issue with our lawyers in the coming days,” he said.

The order of the court came after Rathore filed a plea in January this year challenging his conviction by a CBI special court here for molesting 15-year-old Ruchika Aug 12, 1990.

Ruchika committed suicide three years after Rathore molested her in Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh.

Rathore was sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.1,000 by the CBI special court Dec 21 last year. However, he was immediately granted bail.

Madhu Prakash, wife of Anand, told IANS: “We are happy that once again the court has marked a stamp on the fact the Rathore is a culprit. There is a provision of two-year jail for this offence but I think that judge had taken into consideration poor health of Rathore while announcing the verdict.”

“But still three other cases are pending against Rathore and court can award him 10 year jail in the case registered under abetment to suicide,” stated Madhu.

Madhu Prakash’s daughter Aradhna, who has now migrated to Australia, was the only witness in this case. She was a close friend of Ruchika.

Rathore, 68, was taken into custody by the CBI soon after the district and sessions court rejected his appeal against his December 2009 conviction. He was taken to Burail prison here.

This is the first time that Rathore has been formally arrested in the Ruchika molestation case.